By Miscka Mulder
Earth Day marks a fixed moment of reflection of the state of the world – the growing need to conserve the planet’s ecosystems. The theme introduced in 2025, “Our Power, Our Planet”, persists into 2026, as the call for environmental action continues to carry urgency with the current threats that ecosystems face.
The official theme of the 2026 Earth Day, “Our Power, Our Planet”, is an extension of 2025’s theme and calls for environmental action and protest against the ongoing threats posed to the ecosystems. Sourced from earthday.org. Artist: Miles Wintner.
These threats include habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, resource exploitation and invasive species, according to James Lecompte on the website Voices of Conservation. The Earth Day organisation team emphasises environmental change as “real, resilient and ongoing despite policy uncertainty”.
The first organised Earth Day took place in 1970 in Central Park in New York City where protesters gathered against various threats posed to the environment.
The event followed an initiative led by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, who sought to develop a nationwide appreciation for the Earth. Nelson expanded this movement by onboarding his colleague, Denis Hayes, with mutual commitment to the conservation of ecosystems.
Protests at the start of Earth Day back in 1970 illustrate that protesting can cause change that is real, resilient and ongoing as the remembrance day reaches its 56th anniversary. Photo sourced from Genius taken by Malvina Reynolds.
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, it nearly took two decades after the first initial launch for Earth Day to be formally established globally on 22 April 1990, with over 200 million people in more than 140 countries recognising it.
Even after 56 years, Earth Day remains relevant as many environmental challenges persist. Climate change, pollution, overexploitation, habitat destruction and invasive species continue to threaten various ecosystems worldwide. These pressures cause detrimental consequences, including the pollution of clean water and rising food insecurity.
What about Stellenbosch?
Locally, Stellenbosch Municipal Council implemented level 2 water restriction on 1 March 2026 following the municipal discussions on 25 February 2026. Residents are encouraged to limit their daily water use to 330 litres until further notice.
Stellenbosch University (SU) launched some activities to highlight sustainability on campus.
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) announced a water saving challenge, where the three SU residences that saved the most water from 19 to 25 April will win prizes. The Juridical Society of SU’s Faculty of Law hosted a lunchtime talk on “nature as infrastructure” on 22 April in the Old Main Building. On 25 April, Academia will host a thrift and swap event.
Commuter Student Communities (CSC) Aristea and Olympus, Goldfield Residence, together with the SU Chapter of the United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA), hosted a screening of the documentary Plastic Detox on 21 April at the Wimbledon Hub.
These communities also organised a guided tour of the local Material Recovery Facility to show students what happens to waste after it gets thrown away. This will take place on 28 April from 12:00 to 14:00, with pick-up and drop-off at Merriman Bridge.
Action is more valued than awareness, thus Earth Day promotes that people who seek environmental change, should actively participate in activities that align themselves with sustainability or environmental change. Photo sourced from Vecteezy.
But what now?
The theme “Our Power, Our planet” continues to advertise awareness for action to gestures. Action is ultimately what causes meaningful change. The Be Kind People Project identifies a few daily habits that can be adopted to protect ecosystems. This includes rethinking your commute options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, applying reduce, reuse and recycle principles, managing your household water and energy or switching to renewable energy if possible.
Earth Day reminds us that change is not a “one day” experience, but a gradual one with commitment and effort, and highlights how Earth Day should be practised every day for environmental action.
